Open Air Division Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum

1 open air division

1.1 painter-bernatz mill
1.2 norris miller house
1.3 haugan house
1.4 valdres house
1.5 egge-koren house

open air division

the open air division collection of historic buildings located behind main museum building.

painter-bernatz mill

painter-bernatz mill

the painter-bernatz mill @ 200 north mill street, in open air division of museum. listed on national register of historic places in 1974. old stone mill built william painter, 1 of winneshiek county s earliest european settlers, in 1851 , commonly believed oldest building in decorah.

norris miller house

norris miller house

the norris miller house @ 118 north mill street, in open air division of museum. norris miller, carpenter ohio, built house in west decorah in 1856. listed on national register of historic places in 1976.

haugan house

norwegian immigrants hans , anna haugan built house on farm southeast of decorah during 1860s , lived in @ least until 1880. house representative example of husmann dwelling (norwegian: hytte) used in norway during 19th century. husmann name norwegian tenant farmer leasehold estate similar swedish torp or scottish crofter. husmann formed key element of norwegian farm culture.the house used typical husmann simple log cabin or cottage made of rough hewed lumber.

valdres house

this represents typical norwegian landowner’s home. valdres house built 1795 on moahaugen farm in heggenes, Øystre slidre in oppland, norway. house enlarged , covered entry added in 1860s. vesterheim acquired house through efforts of rosemaler sigmund aarseth , of kolbein dahle, director of valdres folk museum in fagernes, in valley of valdres, norway. house taken down , shipped vesterheim in 1975-76. house reassembled norwegian carpenters commissioned valdres folk museum.

egge-koren house

erik egge built house in 1852 on farm 5 miles southeast of decorah. in july 1853, married helen pedersdatter, widow 2 small children. december 1853 march 1854, newlyweds, rev. u. vilhelm koren , wife elisabeth, lived egges.

ulrik vilhelm koren pioneer lutheran minister, played significant role in development of spiritual , intellectual development of norwegians in america. koren played active part in synod of norwegian evangelical lutheran church in america, holding various including president of synod 1894 until death in 1910. elisabeth koren author of diary of elisabeth koren, 1853-1855 provides detailed insight 4 adults , 2 children spend winter in one-room 14-by-16-foot log house.